19-year-old Yehoshua Hefetz collapses during tryouts for an elite unit in the IDF; doctors pronounce him dead in Eilat.

An 19-year-old IDF soldier died Wednesday morning during trials for an elite unit in southern Israel.

OC Ground Forces Command Maj.-Gen. Sammy Turgeman appointed a colonel to lead the investigation into the circumstances of his death.

The soldier, Yehoshua Hefetz, collapsed during tryouts for acceptance to one of the IDF's elite units. He was rushed to a hospital in Eilat where he was pronounced dead.

Earlier this year, Private Dvir Moor died at a Nahal Brigade's training base after he contracted an infection during a basic training.

Moor was meant to serve in an elite unit when the aggressive infection hospitalized him, killing him soon after at a hospital in Beersheba.

A little less than two years ago, another training accident claimed the life of St.-Sgt. Omri Shoshan, who was shot in the back during an exercise at Mt. Keren - the Givati Brigade's training base - in the South.

Shoshan, a squad commander, was leading his troops during a live-fire drill when was accidentally shot and died of his wounds.